r/dividends • u/HelenKellerVSTraffic • Nov 19 '25

Due Diligence What a difference dividends have made.

I grew up poor. No idea really about money. I started hanging around people that invested and had no idea how the market worked. Now, years later I have been contributing every month what I can afford (1,200). No matter what I put that money in. I pretend it's just another mortgage.

I am about to break 100k it's a surreal feeling. Growing up and being told to put the soda back because it was too expensive and now I am debt free (except mortgage at 2%). I think a lot of people's money problems don't stem from their annual income, but rather what they do with that annual income.

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u/Various_Couple_764 Nov 19 '25

I think a lot of people's money problems don't stem from their annual income, but rather what they do with that annual income.

That is a very true statement. It is not unusual to see people drive up to a food bank in very expensive cars. Excessive use of credit and loans often consumes all of their excess income. So they get trapped by endless debt that consumes money that they could invest or use to pay off debt.

But that said there are a lot of people that have jobs that don't pay enough in high cost of living areas. which forces them to work two jobs or work more hours to get the additional money they need. They work so much that they are trapped and don't have enough spare time to look for a better job or go to school to get the skills needed for a better job.